September 11, 2012 - A former airline employee
was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison
Friday after smuggling more than $150,000 on a
commercial carrier from Philadelphia
International Airport (PHL) to the Dominican
Republic. The sentencing comes after an
investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI).

Juan Adames, 29, of Ridgefield Park, N.J.,
pleaded guilty to bulk cash smuggling and other
related charges in June 2012. Adames was
arrested in August 2010 after failing to declare
approximately $153,000 to customs officers in
the Dominican Republic. After his arrest and
seizure of the funds, customs officials in the
Dominican Republic released Adames and notified
HSI special agents who subsequently began an
investigation.

According to the investigation, Adames used his
position as a commercial airline employee to
circumvent federal screening procedures at PHL
before reaching his destination. When he
returned to the U.S. in January 2012, he was
arrested by HSI special agents and charged.

"A major vulnerability was ultimately identified
and closed as a result of this case," said John
P. Kelleghan, special agent in charge for HSI
Philadelphia. "We simply will not allow
individuals working in and around commercial
aircraft to exploit their positions for criminal
ends. Through the cooperation of our domestic
and international law enforcement partners, we
will continue to ensure the safety and security
of the flying public."

As part of the effort to combat bulk cash
smuggling, ICE established the National Bulk
Cash Smuggling Center (BCSC) in 2009. Since its
inception, the center has initiated 474 criminal
investigations, which have resulted in nearly
270 criminal arrests and the seizure of more
than $170 million.

The BCSC is an operational, intelligence driven
investigative unit with the mission to challenge
bulk cash smuggling from both national and
international perspectives. The BCSC is focused
on the disruption of facilitation pipelines used
to move currency derived from illicit activity
including drugs, weapons, human trafficking,
foreign political corruption and contraband.